Wednesday, August 13, 2014

So I've been dabbling with abstracts for a while now and well, why don't we just get to the pics?

I started with an 8x8 piece of collaged watercolor paper. I collaged the front and back to give it more ooomph because I knew I wanted to add a layer of plaster:

Then I gave it a good slathering of plaster:

Once it started to set up a little I added some textures with a color shapers and by pressing some of that non slip shelf liner stuff into it. I also incised some lines with my palette knife.

Then on to color:

I used heavy body paints and then gave it a coat of matte gel medium to seal everything in. While the matte gel was still setting up I did some more mark making for added textures.

I have had this feather for a while that my grandson and I found on a walk along with some sticks with lichen growing on them. I LOVE lichen. I baked the sticks at 200 degrees for a few hours just to "sanitize" them:

I love this because it evokes so many memories for me. Here's a few close ups:

I just may have to do a larger one similar to this but for now, this makes me happy!

Monday, August 11, 2014

Hey guys! I was tagged by my friend Darcy UK for a different sort of blog hop. It is more of a "getting to know you" hop. Which seemed cool because I love hearing and/or seeing what inspires the people that inspire me! So PLEASE, jump on over to Darcy's blog Art-and-Sole.blogspot.com and check out her and her amazing art. She wears lots of hats on top of that gorgeous head of red hair including designer of rubber stamps, admin for the Paper Artsy blog, demonstrator for Letraset and ... and.... yes, there's lot's more but above all she is a truly gifted artist and remarkable person. (insert a little artist envy and girl crush here)

1) What am I working on? My current obsession is Mixed Media portraits. I've heard many different terms describing stylized portraiture ranging from whimsical to low brow. I'm not really concerned with what it's called. For me it's all about the process. Over the years I've worked in many different mediums from needle arts to silver smithing. For a huge chunk of time I owned my own kiln and used plain utility ware (stoneware and earthenware) as my canvas'. I think that is where my obsession with watercolors originated as well. They have some very similar painting techniques.

I was also selling at that time and I think it's part of the reason why I hesitate to return to selling now. The practical side of business, the things that must be done to be successful are not where I want to be focusing my time at the moment.

I love to borrow from techniques I've learned in every other medium and see how it can be applied to this broad term "Mixed Media". I love textures and bold colors like you can see in these more recent pieces:

I was also a florist for many years and flowers often creep their way into my work as either accents or the main focus. Here's a recent abstract floral:

I am also constantly sketching and doodling. I hope to always be evolving as an artist and trying to improve my skills.

I also sell digital stamps I created through Whimsy Stamps which can be seen here. Denise has been wonderful to work with/for and one of the most generous and truly nice people I have had the pleasure to meet. I need to start creating line drawings again. I really do miss it!

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I don't spend a lot of time comparing my work to others, in fact I try not to whenever possible. The flip side of that coin is that "Mixed Media" can encompass a lot of different styles and types of art. So if I could reword that to say "What makes my art my own?" (or unique) it would have to be my insane love of color that goes back as far as I can recall. I remember graduating to that first set of 48 or 64 crayons and seeing the word "magenta" for the first time. I was probably all of 3 but there ya' go, my first exotic word... lol. I have actually had to create processes for myself to be able to create in subdued hues because it is so alien to my norm. But there again, that doesn't really make me so different because there is a whole army of us color obsessed artist's out here =0)

3) Why do I create/write what I do?

In all honesty I cannot remember a time when I wasn't creating. I come from a long line of artistic and musical people. I was always exposed to both on all sides. I see that same thing in my own kids and now my grandson. It's not something that I just randomly chose to do one day. It's something that has always been there. My skills and supplies are constantly changing and evolving but that basic question of "Why"? I have no idea, I just know that I have to, even if all I had was a stick and a patch of sand.

4) How does my creating/writing process work?

It varies. Sometimes I sit down to create and it just develops from one step to the next like an effortless journey. Other times I have to work at it and take it back down to previous steps and start all over. Oftentimes I will have a seed planted in a dream or thought that I can't wait to get down on paper. I literally have to get out of bed in the middle of the night because the thought is so fresh and exciting that I can't wait until morning.

For me it has always been about the process. Just like when I was a child, I don't sit down to create with an end product in mind. I just start and am moved from one step to the next. I allow the process to take direction and that changes every time. Sometimes a texture will take the forefront other times it's a drip. By the same token I've learned not get too attached or treat a certain portion too precious. I may have a general idea of what I want to paint but as far as how I go about it changes from piece to piece. That is what is so exciting to me about mixed media in general.

And now head over and check out the lovely ladies I've tagged blogs and make sure to see the answers to their questions on August 25th!!

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Hey guys! I played around last night in my 5"x7" journal and did a double page spread.

I have dubbed her "Summer Daze" because she looks like she is remembering those beautiful sunsets we saw last week in Florida =0)

I wanted to layer pure colors of pure pigment so I went for a contemporary primary palette. I used DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics (Professional grade) in Yellow Iron Oxide, Cobalt Turquoise hue and Primary Magenta. The Primary Magenta is available in the starter kit available here. The others will be rolling out soon and when I hear of a date I will be sure to let you know.

The background is mostly just splatters and the magenta bits I blew with a straw. I am thinking about doodling them into flowers but we'll see ;)

Friday, August 1, 2014

We've been away on vacay and had a great time visiting my mom. So lucky that she lives in Florida and we got to stay for two weeks! Only downside is that she has very intermittent Wi-Fi, but the upside of that is that I took an online vacay too. Missed you all, btw =0)

Here's a few my fav shots of the whole vacation:

Such gorgeous sunsets!!!

So this was my first play with my paints since getting home:

Nice to do florals again. Not sure it's done but for today I think it is =0)

About Me

Just a girl coloring her world one day at a time. Each day is a different blank page, card or canvas waiting to get inky, collaged, drawn on, doodled on, stenciled, .... you get the idea. Art supplies make me happy. Come on, let's make something pretty =0)